Details
TL 7229 SHALFORD BRAINTREE ROAD
(east side)
6/42 Parish Church of St.
Andrew
21.12.67
GV I
Parish church. Mainly C14, restored in C19. Flint rubble, partly cement
rendered, with dressings of limestone and clunch, roofed with lead and handmade
red clay tiles. Nave c.1330, altered in later C14. Chancel c.1340. N and S
aisles c.1330, altered in later C14. W tower possibly of C12 origin, rebuilt in
later C14. S porch later C14. Combined N vestry and organ chamber C19. The
Chancel has an E window of c.1340, restored, of 5 lights, the middle light
cinquefoiled, the others trefoiled, with C19 tracery under a 2-centred head; the
jambs, splays, mullions, rear-arch and labels are moulded; the internal label
has head-stops. In the N wall at the E end is a C14 window, restored, of one
trefoiled light with moulded label. Further W is the C19 door of the vestry and
the C19 arch of the organ chamber. In the S wall are 2 windows, the eastern
similar to that in the N wall, the western c.1340, restored, of 2 trefoiled ogee
lights with quatrefoil under a segmental-pointed head; the detail is similar to
that of the E window. The C14 chancel arch is 2-centred, of 2 wave-moulded
orders on the W and one chamfered and one wave-moulded order on the E, blending
into responds of 2 chamfered orders; there are moulded labels on both sides. S
of the arch is a plain squint with shallow ogee head. The roof is of 7 cants,
boarded to the soffits in the C19. Reset in the E wall of the N vestry is a
window of c.1340, restored, similar to the SW window of the Chancel but with one
headstop. The Nave has C14 N and S arcades of 3 bays, irregularly spaced; the
2-centred arches are of 2 wave-moulded orders with moulded labels and carved
stops, much defaced; the piers each have 4 quarter-shafts with keeled rolls
between, with moulded bases and capitals; the responds have attached
half-columns. The clerestorey has on each side 3 late C14 windows, each of 2
cinquefoiled lights with tracery under a square-head; those on the N side have
3-centred rear-arches, those on the S side have internal lintels, and are
restored externally. Below the sills internally is a moulded string-course.
Crenellated brick parapets. The low-pitched roof is in 3 bays with cranked
tiebeams, intermediate tiebeams, ridge and 2 through-purlins. The main tiebeams
are on wallpieces with arched braces of 4-centred curvature, mounted on moulded
and crenellated corbels. 5 corbels are of wood and 3 of stone, one of the
latter having a carved head. The rafters are plain and of horizontal section.
Hewett describes this roof as early Perpendicular (C.A. Hewett, Church
Carpentry, 1982, 127), the RCHM as early C17. The N aisle has in the N wall 2
late C14 windows; the eastern is of 3 cinquefoiled lights with tracery under a
square head with moulded labels; the jambs, mullions and head are moulded; the
internal label has defaced angel-stops. The western window is similar but of 2
lights. Further W is the early C14 N doorway with jambs and 2-centred head of 2
orders, the inner moulded, the outer chamfered, with moulded labels. In the W
wall is an early C14 window, restored, of 2 cinquefoiled ogee lights with a
quatrefoil in a 2-centred head; the rear-arch and moulded internal label are
4-centred, probably reset. The low-pitched roof is plain. The S aisle is wider
than the N aisle, and appears to have been widened in the late C14. In the E
wall is a C14 window of 3 cinquefoiled lights with leaf tracery in a 2-centred
head, with a moulded internal label. Below the sill is a re-set string course
of the C13, mutilated. In the S wall are 2 early C14 windows altered in the
late C14, and restored, of 2 cinquefoiled ogee lights with a quatrefoil in a
4-centred head, with moulded internal labels; the western window has moulded
internal and external reveals. Furttier W is the late C14 S doorway with moulded
jambs and 2-centred arch in a square head, all moulded, with a moulded label;
the cusped spandrels each have a plain shield. The late C14 2-fold doors are
richly carved in the solid, each fold in 2 bays with quarter-round surround and
rib and blind tracery, on simple portcullis rear frames with a wrought-iron
drop-handle (C.A. Hewett, Church Carpentry, 1982, 90 and 92). In the W wall is
an early C14 window reset in the late C14, of 2 cinquefoiled ogee lights with a
quatrefoil in a 4-centred head. The low-pitched roof retains some C14 moulded
timbers at the W end, but is otherwise c.1600 and C19, plain. Both aisles have
crenellated brick parapets. The W tower is of 3 stages with a moulded plinth.
The ground stage has clasping buttresses which may indicate a C12 origin, but
the remainder is late C14. The upper buttresses are diagonal. The late C14
tower-arch is 2-centred, of 2 moulded orders on the E, 2 hollow-chamfered orders
on the W; the outer order is continuous, the inner order springs fron attached
semi-circular shafts with moulded capitals and bases. The W window is late C15,
restored, of 3 cinquefoiled lights with tracery under a 2-centred head. The S
and W walls of the second stage have each a late C14 small square quatrefoiled
window. The bell-chamber has in the wall a late C14 window of one
cinquefoiled light; the other walls have each a late C14 window of 2
cinquefoiled lights with a quatrefoil in a 2-centred head. The second stage of
the tower has a contemporary floor with double hollow-chamfered beams framed
round a square bell-way. Crenellated brick parapet and low-pitched roof, not
examined, with a weathervane pierced with the initials SH and the date 1687. The
late C14 S porch has an elaborately moulded 2-centred outer arch under a square
head, each spandrel having a blank shield in a quatrefoil, with a moulded label;
the responds have clustered shafts with moulded capitals. The E and W walls
have each a window of 2 trefoiled lights. Inside, the E window is flanked by
blind lights under a common square head; the E window has one similar blind
light, the other unfinished or blocked; the moulded label of the E window has
defaced head-stops. The late C14 low-pitched roof has moulded tiebeams and
purlins with carved bosses of foliage, grotesques, and 6 shields of arms (one
restored). Fittings. There are 5 bells, the second by Charles Newman, 1690,
the third and fourth by Richard Bowler, 1601. There is a brass on the E wall of
the Chancel to William Bigge of Redfans, 1616, and Susanna his wife, 1615, with
skull and texts, 2 shields and inscription, in a moulded frame. In the N aisle
is a coffin-lid of Purbeck marble, probably C14, much broken and defaced. The
communion rail is late C17, with moulded rail, twisted balusters and square
posts. The font is of clunch, C15, the hexagonal bowl having cusped and
panelled faces, alternate panels each with 2 shields of arms, the stem having
trefoil-headed panels between square buttresses. There is C14 glass in the
tracery of the E window, foliage, lions, and shields of arms; the NW window of
the N aisle, 2 heads of canopies; and in the E window of the S aisle, tabernacle
work and shields of arms. Also a fragment of C15 glass in the W window of the
tower. In the S wall of the Chancel there is an altar tomb with restored front
and Purbeck marble slab with indent of a woman's figure, with crocketed canopy,
side pinnacles, recess with 4-centred cusped and sub-cusped arch having carved
spandrels and ogee crocketed and finialled label with pierced and traceried main
spandrel; buttressed and crocketed pinnacles at sides, and crenellated main
cornice, enriched with carved heads of 1 woman and 3 men; below, 2 cusped panels
with shields of arms, re-cut, all late C14. In the N wall of the N aisle there
is a tomb recess with cinquefoiled and sub-cusped 2-centred arch, having
crocketed and finialled ogee label, and traceried spandrels, side shafts with
diagonal buttresses having crocketed heads to off-sets (the left shaft partly
missing), and horizontal moulded cornice, all c.1360. In the S wall of the S
aisle there is an altar tomb with 5 shields of arms, a Purbeck marble slab with
indistinct indent, a crocketed and finialled ogee label, and traceried spandrel,
crocketed side-pinnacles with panelled and crocketed buttresses, horizontal main
cornice and carved sprigs of foliage, all c.1340, damaged. There are 2 piscinae
- one in the Chancel, with cinquefoiled ogee head and octofoil drain, C14, and
one in the S wall of the S aisle, with moulded jambs and trefoiled head with
defaced label and drain, C13, re-set. Under the Chancel arch is a wooden screen
with 2-fold door, of 3 bays on each side, the upper panels all with trefoiled
traceried heads, the posts buttressed, with moulded cornice and close lower
panels. In the lower panel on the N side there are 2 trefoil-headed piercings,
and over them 2 quatrefoil piercings in the middle rail, all late C14, restored.
In the Chancel there are 3 sedilia with octagonal shafts and shafted jambs,
with moulded capitals and bases, moulded 2-centred heads, trefoiled and
sub-cusped, with moulded label and square outer label, C14, restored. RCHM 1.
Listing NGR: TL7239729245
